Zootaxa, First Record of the Genus Aristelliger (Squamata

Home , Aristelliger, Quedenfeldtia, Sphaerodactylidae

First record of the genus Aristelliger (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) in Cuba, with the description of a new species

LUIS M. DÍAZ1 & S. BLAIR HEDGES2 1Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Cuba. Apartado Postal 2349, La Habana 2, CP 10 200. E-mail: [email protected] 2Department of Biology, 208 Mueller Lab, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The genus Aristelliger comprises seven species of which six inhabit the West Indies, and one occurs in Central America and satellite islands. For the first time, the genus is reported from Cuba, and a new species (Aristelliger reyesi sp. n.) is described from that island. The new taxon has affinities with the smaller species of the genus (subgenus Aristelligella): A. expectatus, A. cochranae, and A. barbouri. It differs from them in color pattern and other morphological characters.

Key words: Reptiles, Aristelligella, West Indies, Península de Hicacos, Varadero

Introduction

The genus Aristelliger has seven species, of which only one (A. georgeensis Bocourt) occurs in Central America and satellite islands. Two species (A. expectatus Cochran, and A. lar Cope), inhabit Hispaniola; one species occurs on Navassa Island (A. cochranae Grant); two species (A. barbouri Noble and Klingel, and A. hechti Schwartz and Crombie) are found in the Bahamas; and one species (A. praesignis Barbour) occurs in Jamaica, surrounding cays, Cayman Islands, and Swan Islands (Schwartz and Henderson, 1991; Bauer and Russell, 1993a-f; Lynxwiler and Parmerlee, 1993). Additional species are in the process of being described (S. B. Hedges, in prep.). The genus has not previously been recorded from Cuba. The following combination of characters (among others) are present in Aristelliger: 1) small granular scales on most of the body surface; 2) fragile skin; 3) a supraciliar scale modified as a tiny spine; 4) all digits clawed; 5) subdigital lamellae undivided; 6) “friction pads” (sensu Cochran, 1933) on three fingers and two outer toes, or only in one digit of each extremity, depending on the species group (see below); 7) eyes with vertical pupil; 8) one egg per clutch; 9) presence of hemipenial bones (Kluge, 1982); 10) presence of parafrontal bones (Bauer and Rusell, 1989; Gamble et al., 2008); and 11) croaking calls. Gamble et al. (2008) found strong support for a close relationship between Aristelliger and the North African genus Quedenfeldtia, and suggested its inclusion in the family Sphaerodactylidae. There are two recognized groups of species, defined as subgenera by Hecht (1952). The smaller species: A. cochranae, A. barbouri, and A. expectatus (subgenus Aristelligella), are 46−63 mm SVL, have lateral postmentals in contact with the median line of mental scale, and friction pads on three fingers and two outer toes. A second group contains the larger members: A. georgeensis, A. hechti, A. lar, and A. praesignis (subgenus Aristelliger). They are 83−135 mm SVL and have 1−3 median postmentals and friction pads on one finger and one toe (Schwartz and Henderson, 1991). On 30 May 2007 the senior author identified some reptiles photographed by Ernesto Reyes at the Nature Preserve of Varahicacos, Península de Hicacos, Western Cuba. Surprisingly, some of his photos depicted what, undoubtedly, was a gecko of the genus Aristelliger. Soon thereafter several specimens were collected at

Accepted by S. Carranza: 6 Jan. 2009; published: 6 Mar. 2009 31